Draw-bar for railway-cars



Patented Ndv. 22,- I898.

S. E. SECOY.

DRAW BAR FOR RAILWAY CARS.

(Application filed Aug. 31, 1897.)

(No Model.)

G No: wel s FFIQE.

PATENT SAMUEL E. SEOOY, OF MARION, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF THREE-EIGHTHS TOJOHN E. OANNADAY AND HARRY BENTON OANNADAY, OF ANDER- SON, AND IIATTIEV. BRAGG, OF RICHMOND, INDIANA.

DRAW-BAR FOR RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,769, dated November22, 1898.

Application fil d A t 31, 1897. Serial No. 650,194. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. SEooY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Marion, in the county of Marion and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Draw-Bars for Railway-Oars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to safety devices for the draw-bars of automaticcar-couplers; and its object is to provideimproved means whereby shouldthe draw-bar become unfastened from the car the cars will beautomatically uncoupled and the draw-bar also be prevented from fallingonto the track.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing a draw-barconstructed in accordance with my invention, Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection of the same, showing the parts'in position when in use, thedotted lines showing how the lock is elevated to allow the jaws to becoupled and uncoupled. Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the position theparts would assume should the draw-bar be unfastened from the car. Fig.4 is a side view of the locking-bar. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of thesame. I

In the said drawings the referencenumeral 1 designates a hollow orchambered draw-bar rectangular in crosssection and formed at the frontor outer end with jaws 2, to one of which is pivoted the knuckle of thecoupler and the other of which is engaged by the pivoted knuckle of anadjoining car. In rear of these jaws is a vertical pin 3, pass ingthrough a hole in the upper side of the draw-bar. The lower end of thispin is provided with an extension 4, formed witha slot 5. vVorking inthis slot is a pin 6, carried by an arm 7 on the front or outer end of alocking-bar 8. This bar has its front end beveled, as seen at 9, and isdesigned to engage with the point of the knuckle of the coupler and holdthe knuckles securely coupled together until said bar is removed fromengagement with said point. The rear end of this bar is formed withrounded head 10, which works in a curved socket 12 in a block 18,forming a ball-and-socket joint. This block is formed on opposite sideswith pins 14:, which work in inclined slots 15 in the sides of thedraw-bar. Connected with these pins, which project beyond the sides ofthe draw-bar, are chains 16, the other ends of which are secured to thecar. Vhen the draw-bar is in use or proper working condition, thesechains are slack, as seen in Fig. 2. Formed on the underside of saidblock are rounded or curved lugs or ribs 17, which when the parts are inthe position shown in'Fig. 2 seat in a recess 18 in the bottom of thedraw-bar. These lugs are formed with holes 19, through which andcorresponding holes in the draw-bar passes a key or pin 20. This key issimply to hold the block in place under ordinary circumstances and willbreak in case the draw-bar becomes unfastened,as hereinafter described.

The operation is as follows: As the cars approach each other the pin 3is elevated, so as raise the locking-bar 8 to allow the knuckles tocouple. The pin and bar are then allowed to drop, so that the beveledend of the bar will engage with the point of the knuckle, and thus holdthe knuckles securely coupled together. The parts will now assume theposition shown in full lines, Fig. 2.

In case the draw-bar should become unfastened from the car it will bepulled forward until the slack of chains 16 is taken up, when the latterwill pull upon the block, breaking the key 20 and drawing the blockback, as seen in Fig. 3, and also drawing the lockingbar away from theknuckle, so that the latter will swing out and cut the train apart. Thedraw-bar will also be prevented from falling onto the track by means ofthe chain. The purpose of the slotted extension 4 of pin 3 is to preventinjury of the pin when the locking-bar is drawn back, the pin of saidbar working in the slot.

From the above it will be seen that accidents from the draw-barsbecoming unfastened and falling on the track, as is now frequently thecase, is entirely obviated, as the car will be automatically uncoupledshould the draw-bar become unfastened, and the latter is also preventedfrom falling upon the track.

Having thus fully described myinvention, what I claim is- 1. Thecombination with the chambered draw-bar, having an inclined slot in itssides, of the slidable block provided with pins projecting through saidslots, the chains connected With said block, the locking-bar pivotallyconnected With said block and means for elevating said locking-bar,substantially as described.

2. The combination with the chambered draw-bar, having inclined slots inits sides and a curved recess in its bottom, of the slidable block, thepins secured thereto projecting through said slots, the chains connectedtherewith, the rounded lug or rib on the under side of said blockengaging with the said recess in the draw-bar, the locking-bar pivotallyconnected with said block and means for elevating the same,substantially as described.

3. The combination With the chambered draw-bar, having inclined slots inits sides, and a curved recess in its bottom, of the slidable block, thepins secured thereto projecting through said slots, the chains connectedtherewith, the rounded lug or rib on the under side of said block seatedin said recess, the key passing through said lug and through the sidesof the said recess, the locking-bar pivotally connected With said blockand means for elevating the same, substantially as described.

4. The combination with the chambered draw-bar, the slidable block, thepivoted locking-bar, the arm secured thereto and the pin secured to saidarm, of the elevating-pin provided with an extension formed with a slotwith which the pin on said arm engages, substantially as described.

5. lhe combination with the chambered draw-bar, having inclined slots inits sides and a rounded recess in its bottom, of the slidable block, thepins and chains connected therewith, the rounded lug on said block, thekey, the locking bar connected with said block by a ball-and-socketjoint, the arm at the front end of said bar, the pin secured thereto andthe elevating-pin having a slotted extension, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereuntoafiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL E. SE( 01.

Vitnesses:

JOHN C. JOHNSTON, Tnos. J. DAVIES.

